RESEARCH

The State of Independence in America report is the longest-running comprehensive look at the independent workforce. Now in its eighth year, the 2018 survey paints a nuanced picture of the 42 million Americans who work independently, with today’s professionals emerging as strong, mature, and satisfied.

Innovation within the American workplace has outpaced the evolution of laws and rules, creating regulatory gaps on issues ranging from independent contractor compliance to guaranteed worker protections. MBO has proposed a modern solution—the Certified Self-Employed worker (CSE)—to address these issues and remove the risks associated with hiring independent talent.

In today’s project-driven economy, more businesses than ever are engaging an external workforce to help operate at full capacity and meet demand, positioning independent professionals to continue to be a critical resource for years to come.

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TOPIC

Being self-employed may not always be simple, but it definitely has its rewards. Doing what you love and having the flexibility that comes with being your own boss can certainly make the challenges worthwhile. In some cases, being self-employed can also have some less obvious tax advantages. Making sure you plan according to the tax…

As more companies begin to integrate independent professional talent into their fulltime workforce, the risk of worker misclassification increases. Whether your business has been engaging independent contractors for years or is just beginning use independent talent, it is increasingly important to put measures in place to help correctly classify talent as either traditional employees—recipients of…

One of the biggest perks of becoming an independent professional is getting to be your own boss. While there are a lot of rewards that come with this power, being the No. 1 decision maker is not always easy. Those that thrive as independent professionals often have key traits that contribute to their success. Follow…

Being a successful independent contractor or a Client of Choice isn’t just about doing the best work or having the best perks. It also means staying one step ahead of the curve. That’s why each week we bring you The Weekly Independent, a quick-hit digest of news of note from around the web. • The…

Keeping your skills and knowledge current is important to remain competitive as an independent professional. As the workforce landscape continues to evolve, your skills will need to do so as well. By forming these abilities now, you won’t be caught off guard by future needs and requests from clients. Here are 10 skills for the…

When looking for independent professional talent to incorporate into your workforce, there are many factors to consider. If you are engaging independent contractors for the first time, you may be facing fears about the quality of the final product, cost considerations, or whether or not the person you’re hiring will make a productive use of…

The talent management landscape is changing. More and more companies today are turning to flexible workforce models, incorporating independent professional talent to supplement their full-time workforce with specialized skills and on-demand project availability. In this new world, it’s important for companies to take an agile approach to talent management in order to capitalize on the…

Today more than ever, businesses must compete in a War for Talent that is not just about finding and retaining full-time employees, but also involves engaging and re-engaging top independent professionals. MBO Partners’ Client of Choice research examines why and how independent professionals select the clients they choose to work with. “For businesses to effectively…

Being a successful independent contractor or a Client of Choice isn’t just about doing the best work or having the best perks. It also means staying one step ahead of the curve. That’s why each week we bring you The Weekly Independent, a quick-hit digest of news of note from around the web. • Uber…

Many of the key benefits of incorporating independent professionals into your workforce strategy center around cost savings. For instance, independent talent can offer staffing flexibility and access to skills that might be hard to find among current employees. These types of financial factors are motivation for businesses to engage independent workers—60% of senior executives say…